iPod Drabbles
by kshaitan
Summary: A series of drabbles from my playlist.
1. Chapter 1

***disclaimer*** these characters are not mine, but they are fun to play with.

**Gunpowder and Lead – ****Miranda Lambert**

That was it. She was done. No one, absolutely no one, put their hands on her in anger and walked away from it without damage. Raph was now in a world of hurt. The jackass had actually grabbed her and slapped her across the face when she'd walked away instead of fighting with him. It had been her first full day back after being shot and she'd been so happy. Until she got home and he wanted to be a little bitch because she wouldn't choose him over her job. She didn't even give a shit that he was drunk off his ass. You reap what you sow and all that bull.

Knee to the groin then to the nose. Yep, she still had it. Taking the ring out of her pocket, she shoved it onto his pinkie finger before cuffing him and reaching for her phone to call Bobby D.

No one hit Marshal Mary Shannon. On second thought, she called Marshall. Bobby D would be too gentle.

**Beer For My Horses – ****Toby Keith**** & ****Willie Nelson**

Equilibrium had been reestablished in Stan's world. Mary was back full time, which took the workload off the rest of his marshals. And Marshall was finally functioning normally again. Those two were simply better together than apart.

So, Stan broke precedence and treated his subordinates to a few beers at the marshals' favorite watering hole. Some brought their significant others, as they'd been encouraged to do. Mary showed up with Marshall in tow and no one else. Stan wondered at how telling that was. It was even more telling when an hour later, Mary jumped up on the bar and raised her glass in true Mary form. However, the heartfelt, heartwarming toast was something no one had ever expected to hear from her.

Knowing it had been difficult for her to do that, he had a pair of shots of whiskey sent to where his favorite marshals were sitting, observing their fellows. Mary may have been the one to say the words, but Stan knew they were from Marshall too.

**I'm a Believer – Neil Diamond / The Monkees**

So it had taken a little time – okay a lot of time – for Mary to see what was right in front of her. She knew it was primarily fear. If it was real, true, actual love it could be taken away and she'd be hurt. And that night in the desert performing triage, she was proven right. The idea of losing him hurt. So, she kept it at arm's length and walked into something that wouldn't hurt.

Except that it still hurt. It hurt to wake up next to a too heavy body. It hurt to come home to a clingy fiancé who wanted to take her away from him. Who was always touching her even when she didn't want to be touched.

And it hurt to wake up after being shot to see the pain in his eyes. To know that losing her was just as painful to him as losing him was to her.

And now the fear was gone. Because it didn't hurt to wake up next to long, lean muscle and drive home with a fiancé who knew when not to push, when not to touch. And when and how and where to touch.

**Jingle Bombs – Jeff Dunham**

"You dragged me to a puppet show?" Mary demanded once they'd arrived at the theater. "You said comedian!"

"Patience," Marshall said with a chuckle. "I promise you'll enjoy this."

"Your nuts better hope so," Mary grumbled and ungraciously stomped to their seats. Somehow, she'd let her partner talk her into staying in Vegas for an extra few days after their witness transfer. And somehow, she'd gotten talked into a special 'holiday' performance by some comedian she'd never heard of. Well, better puppets than Barry Manilow.

An hour later Mary was laughing like a loon. Who knew puppets could be this funny? Or this perverse? Apparently, her geeky partner. She calmed down a moment to see the comedian bring out a skeleton in a turban. After she recovered from laughing from the first 'I keeell you' Marshall leaned over and whispered in her ear, "My nuts are glad you're enjoying this."

**Have You Ever Loved a Woman**** – ****Bryan Adams**

Brandi had brought in one of those stupid games as an attempt to get everyone past the awkward silences that seemed to permeate the silence that was omnipresent when Raph and Marshall were visiting at the same time. Mary never minded Marshall spending hours with her. She wasn't so sure about Raph.

Unfortunately, this game was a 'how well do you know each other' type of game. Mary hated those. Also unfortunate was that Brandi said it was Mary's job to ask the questions and their jobs to answer them – about Mary. Meddling little shit was trying to start something but Mary couldn't seem to care. As long as Squish and Raph left so she could relax.

"Let's start simple boys and girl," she sighed as she pulled out the first card. "What is my favorite dessert?"

"Anything chocolate," Brandi answered.

"Strawberry cheesecake," Raph said with a triumphant grin.

Marshall snorted. "She's allergic to strawberries. Her favorite is flourless chocolate torte with caramel and pralines."

"Someone give the gold star to Marshall," Mary grinned. They continued to play with Marshall nailing every question and Brandi getting a few too. Raph answered one right. Poor guy.

**Hurt – written by Trent Reznor, sung by Johnny Cash **

Nothing felt right anymore. She was numb to everything and everyone. Most nights she couldn't sleep, so she'd come and visit him here. It was cold for Albuquerque tonight as she leaned against his tombstone and stared into the sky. She knew it was cold, but it didn't register.

She understood why he'd done it. She would have done the same thing for him. That didn't change the fact that Marshall was gone and he wasn't coming back. He'd promised that he wouldn't leave but she'd known he wouldn't be able to keep it. She always thought he would eventually just get sick of her like everyone else. She'd never imagined having to hold him as he bled out from a bullet meant for her.

She punched the tombstone and heard the bones in her hand crack. And felt the pain.

She wasn't numb anymore. She didn't rage, she didn't curse. She sat on her partner's grave and grieved.

**Irreplaceable**** – Beyonce **

He'd already cheated once so she wasn't exactly surprised. It still stung. Her inner voice, which sounded strangely like Eleanor, pointed out that her heart wasn't breaking; it was her pride that was bruised. She internally conceded to that point even as she dragged more of his crap outside. She'd handcuffed him to her bed under the pretense of a little fun and the proceeded to throw the evidence at him. It was just ironic that the woman happened to be Marshall's witness and Marshall was currently on vacation so she'd done the check in for him. And the witness had showed Mary a picture of her and her new boyfriend. Mary had borrowed the picture to 'run a background check'.

She got outside to see Bobby D and Stan pulling up. Apparently one of the neighbors had called. Maybe it was due to Raph yelling his head off inside.

"Prepping for a bonfire there Shannon?" Bobby D asked with a grin.

"Just taking out the trash," she shot back and dumped the last of his crap on the lawn. "Stan, would you go an uncuff him? I'm likely to shoot him if I look at him again."

Her boss went to do just that and a few minutes later was following Raph out, hand on his sidearm. And to make the moment perfect, her mother was in tears, distraught not that Raph had cheated but that Mary was throwing him out. Brandi had offered to help Mary cut off Raph's nuts, so that was a plus.

**Jaded – Aerosmith**

Mary watched her sister enviously. There was a lightness to Brandi that Mary was never going to have. She didn't always see the worst in people, didn't look over her shoulder because there might be someone out to hurt her. Raph believed it was the job that jaded Mary. It was the job that drove them apart so maybe it was easiest for him to blame there. It would have taken him getting to know her better, for her to not be so jaded that she could actually trust him.

The fact was Mary Shannon had been jaded since the age of seven. It wasn't a job that had done it. It was her father leaving her, charging her with caring for an alcoholic mother who doted solely on her baby sister that had done that. He had proved you can't trust anyone.

**My ****Vietnam**** – Pink**

The irony that it was the United States Federal Government that had caused the chaos in destruction in her home. The home paid for by her job with the United States Federal Government. Everyone bemoaned inter-agency cooperation because, at some point, they always turned into a dick-measuring contest and the people who had put in the legwork had their hard work shat on and then taken away. All so some pencil-pushing prick could take credit.

Well, FBI Agent Dickwad had certainly declared war on her but neither of them were going to walk away unscathed. She'd make sure of that. She would be subtle and blatant. She would undermine and deceive. She would not be beaten. And the schmuck would be cleaning up the mess he made of her house or she'd return the favor.

**Silent Night**** – Josef Mohr**

Mary had never been big on Christmas. Christmas normally meant annoying happy people, amazingly cranky people and a whole lot of disappointments. Like always, Marshall turned her opinion around. It may have had something to do with the enjoyment she got from watching him fuss over every little detail, knowing that he was doing it to make her happy. Or it could have been that he was taking care of all the things that would frustrate her.

But she knew it was neither of those things.

It was the wonder on their ten-month old son's face as he stared at the lit Christmas tree for the first time. It was his squeal of joy when presented a teddy bear with a marshal's badge. It was the fact that Marshall gave her this small miracle and was there every day to experience it with her.

And it was also the amusement she got from watching him unwrap the framed sonogram image that let him know they were having another miracle, rendering her verbose husband speechless.


	2. Chapter 2

_I thought this was over. Except that I had to sit in a waiting room and I was bored listening to my MP3 player._

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* * *

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**I Would Walk 500 Miles - The Proclaimers**

Peter studied Marshall as Marshall kept watch over a comatose Mary. In those few moments he knew that Marshall would do anything for Mary. Anything in the world. There was no distance he wouldn't travel, no obstacle he wouldn't move. The man would sacrifice his own happiness, repress his own feelings for Mary, just so she could have the chance at happiness with someone else. Someone who didn't understand her. Who expected Mary to travel any distance he demanded once the ring was on her finger.

Peter felt sorry for Raph because in the end the other man didn't understand what it took to love someone the way Marshall did. And he felt sorry for Marshall because it was going to take Mary more time to realize it _when_ she woke up.

Peter recognized what Marshall was feeling because he could see it in himself when he looked at Brandi.

**Sugar, Sugar - The Archies**

Mary didn't want to say 'I told you so' to Brandi this time. She'd known that their half-brother was going to hurt her. It was another reason that Mary hadn't wanted to get close to him. And now Brandi was hurting. And Brandi would probably not be happy if Mary shot the jerk.

Inspiration from their past struck and Mary did a quick inventory of the kitchen. Knowing Brandi was sulking in her room, she threw together pancake batter and heated the skillet. When she was ready to start cooking she went to the stereo and plugged in the IPod Marshall had given her and cranked the volume.

Brandi was out in minutes and Mary was making pancakes, bopping along to the song. Brandi's eyes watered as she hugged Mary and began dancing along. No matter what their differences or problems, they had their history. And no half-sibling would ever be able to take that away.

Both of them were taken back to the times they had been left to their own devices and Mary would cook the one thing she knew how. When all they had was each other and that had been enough.

**Be a Man - Mulan**

Mary debated her options carefully. On the one had was Faber; smooth, suave and short-term and thereby safe. There were moments he reminded her of some of her mother's exes. But she knew that he was interested - very interested. He would go out of his way to have his witnesses brought to the ABQ office.

On the other hand was Marshall. Her brilliant, off-limits, out of her league partner. She knew he cared about her but she wasn't sure what he meant by she needed messy. Did he mean him? Could he possibly love her as much as she loved him.

So she reverted to her lists. Faber: scared little rich boy who she wouldn't trust to man up if necessary. Marshall: strong, smart and sincere. Faber: transparent and shallow. Marshall: layer upon layer that would take a lifetime to figure out. Faber: was an easily assessed threat who had gotten soft through his years behind a desk. Marshall: deceptively strong, fast, efficient and adaptable to everything life - and she - threw at him. Faber: very interested. Marshall: ?

There was a knock at the door. The last time there had been a knock at her door this late it had been Faber. Should she take it at a sign if it was Faber again? Opening the door did not reveal Faber. It revealed Marshall. Taking a chance on losing the most important person in her life, the most defining relationship she'd ever had, she reached forward and drew him down into a kiss.

Hours later he corrected her list. Marshall: Head over heels, completely, unequivocally, hopelessly, unendingly, perfectly in love with Mary Shannon.

**Fly - The Wilkinsons**

No doubt about it - Marshall was an absolute godsend. She didn't know what amazing thing she'd done to deserve him and she probably didn't show him that she appreciated him enough. But he was her partner, her best friend, her confidante, her keeper, her lover. Her guardian angel. He would vehemently deny the last one but it was the truest of all of them. He'd been sent from heaven and whether it was a cosmic mistake that he was with her or if it was ordained by God, the love they shared was the closest thing to heaven she knew to exist.

And she would do whatever was required to keep him with her.

**Last Contestant - Nickleback**

_Note - Eleanor is still in the office for me. Bring her back please?_

It took every ounce of Marshall's self-control not to shoot Faber every time he saw the agent. And this time it was made harder because the moron didn't know yet. "Hello Kitten," he heard Faber schmooze at Mary. How did she stand the endearment? It was demeaning and insulting and only an idiot would refer to a tigress as 'kitten'.

"I suggest saving your tired game for someone interested," Eleanor said idly as she walked passed. "And someone available."

Faber looked confused. Marshall thought it was an improvement. "What?"

"I believe Eleanor is subtly letting you know that Mary is spoken for," Marshall explained maliciously. "Off the market. Involved. Enamored elsewhere…"

"If you want me on that Alaskan cruise next week, you will knock of the running synonyms," Mary growled at Marshall to his annoyance. Had she wanted to tell Faber gently?

"Partner bonding trip? Or are you vacationing with witnesses now?" Faber said, the oily charm appearing again.

"The Federal Government couldn't pay me to go to Alaska on vacation," Mary clarified for him. "Marshall on the other hand can be very persuasive when he's driving me towards orgasm."

'So much for gentle,' Marshall thought gleefully.

**Seasons of Love - Rent**

"Did you know that there are 525,600 minutes in a year?" Marshall asked of his partner, wondering if she realized the significance of the date. What had happened on this day, almost to the minute, last year.

"Did you know there's a song with that fact in it?" Mary rejoined, knowing she'd surprised him by knowing that. She'd watched what she thought was going to be a crappy movie musical with Brandi during a sisterly bonding moment. It wasn't so crappy after all, though one of the actresses bugged the hell out of her. And the opening song was catchy enough that it still periodically played in her mind.

Marshall sighed, knowing he was going to have to remind her.

And then she surprised him again by tossing a wrapped box on his lap, the tasteful solitaire on her left hand catching the light as she did. There was a brief note that read 'You made it a year being engaged to me. Impressive. Now open the box Doofus.'

Inside the box was a frame. And in the frame - a sonogram picture. Marshall was speechless as he realized that the next 525,600 minutes were going to be busy. He wondered how long it would take to convince her to cancel the wedding arrangements and hop a flight to Vegas tonight.

* * *

_~K_


End file.
